President Akufo-Addo says Ghana is not a xenophobic State as some foreigners claim and that we have no problem with fellow Africans living and working in the country.
The President made these remarks on Friday, June 28, 2019, when he bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to Ghana, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, who also doubles as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo said, “there is no xenophobia in Ghana, we are not a xenophobic State. We are the pan-African nation that has opened its doors to all Africans, and they are not going to be the object of any hate campaign in Ghana.â€
The President said the impression being created abroad that there is a rise in xenophobia in Ghana does not conform in any way to the truth.
“We continue to remain an open society, welcoming, especially, to our kith and kin on this continent. So, I will like you, in very, very strong terms, to convey these sentiments of mine to your President back home,â€
Xenophobia is the dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
The idea that Ghana is xenophobic stems from the recent feud between some Ghanaian and Nigeria traders at Suame Magazine.
Shops of Nigerians at Suame Magazine at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have been shut down by their Ghanaian counterparts. Ghanaian retailers at the market accused the Nigerians of evading tax and selling substandard products which is a threat to the market.
The Ghanaian retailers added that the actions of these Nigerian shop owners are affecting their sales because most people do not want to buy the secondhand products anymore but the substandard new ones brought in by the Nigerians.
These actions were condemned by Ghanaian authorities who charged the citizens to use the right channels in addressing issues.
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